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urvivors of the strong earthquake that devastated West Sumatra on Sept. 30 will need to receive psychological assistance in the near future, an expert says.

Dicky Pelupessy from the University of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post on Monday that such assistance would help people recover from the psychological trauma caused by the violent tremor that left more than 800 dead and damaged more than 200,000 houses and other buildings.

Volunteers from the university's School of Psychology have visited Padang and Pariaman, two of the most affected areas, in the aftermath of the 7.6-magnitude quake.

"But there is nothing we can do but assess their conditions. People are still focusing on finding lost relatives or finding food and shelter for the night," Dicky said.

He added that the volunteers had a program in hand, for adults and children, and would start providing psychological assistance after the second or third week. "One of the most important things in psychological recovery is to get patients to do their normal activities," he said.

The school-based recovery program intended for children will focus on providing ways for them to attend school, study or do recreational activities in a fun atmosphere.

"Even if it has to be done in makeshift tents," he added.

Lecturers and professional psychologists from the university will also train teachers in the stricken areas on how to deal with students that are afflicted with trauma.

Dicky also stressed that adults were not immune to trauma.

"Children are fragile and they need their parents or other adults to help them recover; but we must remember that the same trauma also happens to the adults," he said.

The volunteers, he added, were studying the kinds of activities that the survivors in the cities of Padang, Pariaman and the surrounding areas carry out in their day-to-day lives.

Dicky said the community-based recovery program for adults would provide clear information on earthquakes and other natural disasters.

"People get anxious and worried when they don't have clear information on what is happening to them. For example, after a strong earthquake hits, locals were spreading rumors that a tsunami was coming," he added.

The program will also educate parents on children's reactions after a traumatic event.